Great things come in threes. Three-legged races, three-ring circuses, the Little Shop of Horrors back-up singers – the list goes on and on. But anyone who’s into food in Providence knows the king of threes around these parts: burgers, beer and gelato. The problem, though, is finding all three under one roof, where you can wash down a half-pound of beef with a refreshing pint and still enjoy the sweet sensation of gelato, all without worrying about travel logistics. Thankfully, Carlo Catucci is solving that prob- lem with the opening of Fratelli’s (71 Washington St.).
Born from Catucci’s long-time dream of owning a restaurant in downtown Providence, Fratelli’s combines a burger restaurant, ice cream parlor and bar & grill. The combination gives diners an opportunity to enjoy a meal without the all-too-familiar annoyance of bouncing between eateries. “I love burgers and gelato,” says Catucci, “and I felt the city could use a combination that has those two presented as high-quality as possible.”
To achieve that high-quality standard, Fratelli’s uses only Rhode Island-raised, grass-fed beef for its burgers, grinding the meat fresh daily on premises. “We use a program for our beef called 1855, which uses only 100% organic, grass-fed cattle,” says Catucci. “It’s premium-grade Black Angus, aged 28 days before it comes to us.” In ad- dition, all of the gelato is homemade, because Catucci wants it “as close as possible to something in Italy. It’s all made from scratch, not shipped from anywhere.” He adds, “I went to the Ge- lato & Pastry Institute of America, and I’m lucky to have a few homemade recipes from Italy that my aunts have passed on to me for my restaurant.”
As for his passion for beer and mixed drinks, Catucci got his start in the food industry at the age of 18 as a barback for Union Station Brewery. From there, he went on to “bartend in different places, like Camille’s and The Parkside.” And all of that experience is evident in his cocktail menu, offering such options as the Italian Cosmo (SKYY Blood Orange Vodka, lime juice, triple sec, red wine, served straight up) and the Milano (Woodford Reserve Bourbon, dash of Carpano Antica Vermouth, shaken over ice, served straight up). Of course if wine is more your drink of choice, Fratelli’s offers over 40 different brands, including Placido, Fetzer Eagle Peak and Decoy by Duckhorn.
Along with the aforementioned beer-burger-gelato trifecta, Fratelli’s features such casual sit-down staples as loaded nachos, calamari, chicken wings and various salads. However, true to Catucci’s love for quality, the restaurant also spices up some classic dishes, as seen in their Truffle Fries (hand-cut French fries tossed in truffle oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped parsley) and Italian Mac n’ Cheese (oven-baked penne blended in pink vodka sauce, Italian sausage, a three cheese blend and sweet basil).
So whether you want a burger for lunch, a beer after work or gelato shared between two, Fratelli’s is Providence’s latest restaurant bringing together three amazing flavors.
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